Books like 'The Return Play'
Readers who enjoyed The Return Play by Mariah Dietz also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary slow burn friends to lovers new adult sports sweet heroine
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Nora Roberts Bridal Quartet Boxed Set by Nora Roberts
This boxed gift set from the New York Times bestselling author of more than 190 novels features four books that follow the love lives of four childhood friends who have teamed up to form one of Connecticut's premiere wedding planning companies... -
Chasing You by Kelly Elliott
Rated: 4.55 of 5 stars · 21 ratingsI chased, you pushedI chased, you friend zonedI chased, you fellNow I chase to protect you.You chased, I resistedYou chased, I acceptedYou chased, I fell Now I pray you’re not too late.After finally winning the heart of the woman I loved, there was no way in hell he was taking her from me... -
Pucks, Sticks, and Diapers by Toni Aleo
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 22 ratingsFirst came love, then came the NHL, then came Baylor and Jayden with a baby carriage... -
Funkenstille by Kyra Groh
Rated: 4.51 of 5 stars · 21 ratingsFunkenstille ist SPIEGEL-Bestseller! Sie will sich nicht verlieben. Bis er um sie kämpft. Amelie hat keine Zeit für Ablenkung. Sie opfert alles, um ihrer kleinen Schwester die Kindheit zu ermöglichen, die ihr selbst verwehrt geblieben ist – sogar ihre große Liebe. Sechs Jahre ist es her, dass Joscha ohne sie nach England gegangen ist, um seine Fußballkarriere voranzutreiben... -
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Checkmate by Emilia Finn
Rated: 4.49 of 5 stars · 22 ratingsBishop men are nothing but a plague on this planet, a disease that needs eradication before it spreads. They’re murderers. Liars. Thieves. The day I met Colum Bishop, I thought my life was finally turning around. I was led to believe he would be our saviour. He was supposed to be our hero, a long awaited reprieve from the hardships life insisted on throwing at my mom and me... -
Empire High Matchmaker by Ivy Smoak
Rated: 4.45 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsMatthew Caldwell is NYC's most eligible bachelor.Charming.Gorgeous.Wealthy.Great with kids.Broken.Sixteen years ago he lost everything. He made a vow to never love again. But suddenly everyone in his life is acting like a matchmaker. He can't help but wonder if a broken vow is better than a broken heart.There's just one problem. Only one woman in the city has caught his attention... -
Path To Resolution by TheFeveredBookaholic
Rated: 4.61 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsWolfe Emerson is notorious for two things: being an absolute beast in a boxing ring and being a voluntary mute. His story remains unspoken and he prefers to live his life in silence. That is, until, his world is turned upside down when he meets someone who is louder than life... -
Bring It Home by Toni Aleo
Rated: 4.47 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsBoon Hoenes only has three goals in life. To make Posey Adler his wife, to win the Stanley Cup for the second year in a row, and for Shea Adler to like him.The first, he’s got on lock. The second, he’s well on his way. And the third… Well, two out of three ain’t bad... -
Endeared by J.S. Scott
Rated: 4.37 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsAfter finishing a hard-won medical residency, Owen Sinclair now lives his dream as a family physician. The windfall that brought him newfound wealth has also made handsome Dr. Sinclair the town’s most eligible bachelor... -
She Writes Love by Sandi Lynn
Rated: 4.37 of 5 stars · 25 ratingsTwo lives, two losses, and one meeting that changed their lives forever. Learning to move and learning to love again isn’t always easy. The circle of life. It’s something we all know about but are never truly prepared for the unexpected. The unexpected that comes out of nowhere. No warning, no heads up, nothing... -
Unexpected Fall by Kaylee Ryan
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsLife is full of ups and downs. Events that shape who you are, even those that are filled with heartbreak and tragedy. What do you do when actions bring devastation? How do you pick up the pieces and keep moving forward? One breath. One second. One minute. One hour. One day at a time, you learn to live with your unexpected fall... -
Sea of Love by Melissa Foster
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 22 ratingsYou fell in love with Lacy Snow in Sisters in White (Snow Sisters, Book Three). Follow her on her path to her forever love in Sea of Love. Lacy Snow hadn’t been looking for love when she met strikingly handsome and seductive Dane Braden... -
Fighting for Honor by J.B. Salsbury
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 22 ratingsNew York Times and USA Today Bestselling author JB Salsbury brings her Fighting series to Harper Sloan’s Hope Town in Fighting for Honor. UFL fighter Caleb hasn’t been to Hope Town since he was eighteen. His next big fight takes place in Atlanta and the serene lakefront home from his childhood is the perfect place to train without distractions... -
Roman by Samantha Whiskey
Rated: 4.32 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsI’m one of the fastest running backs in the NFL, but I can’t outrun my feelings for my best friend.I’ve wanted Teagan Hall for over a decade, but I’ve never been willing to risk our friendship.Then she shows up at my doorstep, fleeing her abusive ex, and everything changes.Now she’s not just my best friend—she’s my roommate.She's also the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen.Every innocent touch crackles... -
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Queen of Klutz by Samantha Garman
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 31 ratingsChoose the best phrase to describe Sibby Goldstein's 1) Sucky. 2) Really sucky. 3) Major suck-fest. D) All of the above. I started my day with a boyfriend and a job. I ended my day with a bottle of tequila. I'll let you connect the dots. Somehow, I wound up working as a waitress at an Italian restaurant. I have no idea what I'm doing. And I'm not just talkin' about life... -
Levi's Blue by M. Leighton
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 25 ratingsFour beautiful days. Three steamy nights. One breathtaking love. Levi Michaelson. He wanted four dates. Four opportunities to prove I could trust him. Four chances to change my mind about him. I agreed. Probably not my smartest decision. He was everything I knew to avoid—gorgeous, charming, sexy as hell—but I couldn’t help myself. When he touched me the whole world disappeared... -
Holding on to Forever by Siobhan Davis, S.B. Alexander
Rated: 4.49 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsSecretly dating Coach Parker’s daughter was never part of the plan. Neither was becoming her dealer… ADAM Returning to my drug-dealing past wasn’t on the agenda when I accepted the full ride to play ball at Cypress U. But Mom lost her job. And my sister’s medical bills are mounting. So, I’ve no choice but to change the playbook... -
Changing Lines by Toni Aleo
Rated: 4.48 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsClaire and Jude Sinclair have been living the perfect life for the last ten years. Blissfully in love, professionally successful, happily married… They have everything they want—except a baby to make their family complete... -
Team Player by Adriana Locke, Charleigh Rose
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsHot jocks. We love them all. Sexy baseball players. Intense footballers. Sweaty MMA fighters, and sizzling hockey hotties. Score! The good news? Eleven bestselling authors have gathered to give you a set of stories focused on the men we love most—sports heroes. We bet you’ll love this thick…book. The bad news? The men in these novellas don’t actually exist...Categorized as:
sports friends to lovers new adult sweet heroine contemporary anthologies alpha male bad boys -
Path To Realization by TheFeveredBookaholic
Rated: 4.46 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsAsher Pryce hides behind a wall of secrets he's spent most of his life building up. How else is the adopted child whose birth parents run a drug cartel supposed to fit in? He's notorious for his overconfident swagger and total lack of patience for bullshit - a master of masks. The one thing in his life he can't fake? His feelings for his best friend's twin sister... -
Broken Dove by Chelle Bliss
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsA simple arrangement. A complicated future.Lia Dove has always been a free spirit, living life to the fullest and never putting down roots. But after finding her birth father, along with a group of lovable, rowdy bikers, she can’t imagine being anywhere else. Throw in a hot biker roommate who offers her no-strings-attached deal as the cherry on top and leaving becomes an afterthought...Categorized as:
friends to lovers sweet heroine new adult contemporary suspense bikers betrayal length-medium -
Perfect Boy by Hannah Gray
Rated: 4.32 of 5 stars · 22 ratingsAn entire campus knows my name. Women throw themselves at me, hoping I’ll take them home that night. Whispers from the NHL say I’m the one to watch. And the weight of each game is on my shoulders because if our opposing team scores … that’s on me. All the things that keep me up at night are probably someone else’s dreams... -
Spiked by Love by Toni Aleo
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 23 ratingsAllison Titov and Asher Brooks have been best friends their whole lives. Brought up together as part of the Assassins family, they might as well be related. But... Ally has never felt anything sisterly toward Asher.In love with Asher since she was a teen, Ally has gone pro at keeping her feelings a secret. It’s been easy.. -
Rogue Wave by J. Bengtsson
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsA love story that survives the test of time. Keith McKallister is the king of the stoners. You know the type. Every school has one – the hot, fun, dopey guy beloved by the student body but despised by, well, just about everyone else. He spends his early mornings in the ocean and his days trying to get to class on time... -
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Adrenaline by Kelly Elliott
Rated: 4.46 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsMalcolm Wallace lived for the adrenaline rush. If he wasn’t living life on the edge, he wasn’t living. He had no time for relationships, let alone love. When one event changes Malcolm’s entire future, he must turn to the one person who makes him doubt his entire philosophy on life. Paislie Pruitt. She’s beautiful. She’s strong. She’s the one rush Malcolm never saw coming... -
Just One Spark by Carly Phillips
The fourth book in the Kingston Family Series by New York Times Bestseller Carly PhillipsDash Kingston the rock star’s...Categorized as:
friends to lovers sweet heroine super rich hero contemporary explicit-open-door audiobook -
The Complete Off-Campus Series Set by Elle Kennedy
*A limited collector's bundle with illustrated covers and blue sprayed edges on the first print run.* New York Times bestselling author Elle Kennedy brings her signature angst, humor, and spice to the icy-hot Off Campus books... -
Southern Attraction by Kaylee Ryan
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsI had everything I ever wanted, living the dream, at least that's what I always thought. The night we met, we had an instant attraction, but she was with someone else. When we reunited a few months later, that pull was still there, stronger than ever. So strong, that even though she was hundreds of miles away, I pursued her. I told myself that I just wanted to get to know her... -
Playing For Keeps by Emilia Finn
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsLife is all about choices, right? Everything we do, from brushing our teeth in the morning, until we climb into bed at night, is a series of choices. Sometimes we make bad choices, sometimes they’re good, sometimes they’re made under duress, and sometimes they’re the lesser of two evils kind... -
Seaside Hearts by Melissa Foster
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 21 ratingsJenna Ward is vivacious, spontaneous, and confident—except when she’s around the man who stole her heart years earlier, strikingly handsome, quiet, and reliable Pete Lacroux. After years of trying to get his attention and overwhelmed from dealing with her mother’s new cougar lifestyle, Jenna’s giving up on Peter—and is ready to explore other men... -
Every Kiss You Steal by J.E. Parker
Her past is plagued with darkness... He's determined to make her future brighter. -Ashley- My life was once a nightmare. Because of my past, the walls I've constructed are mighty. But those walls begin to waver the day I meet him... Chase Jacobs, star quarterback, and the cutest boy I've ever seen. With his easy smile and sweet words, he's perfect. Problem is, I'm not... -
We Said Forever by Marie James, T E Black
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsRock bottom. They say the only way to go from there is up, but what is “up” when you’re born into someone else’s rock bottom? At ten, football became my first love. It’s what got me out of the house away from my self-destructive family... -
Be My Temptation by Rachel Brookes
Rated: 4.39 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsYou met Josh Crawford and Ashlyn Hart in Be My December, now its time to hear their story. One night connected them.One decision separated them. One craving tempted them. Ashlyn Hart was done with men, or at least those outside of her books. After stupidly falling for the charms of her cheating ex and having her heart broken yet again, she decided to create a new life... -
Cocky Love: Emma Cocker by Faleena Hopkins
Rated: 4.39 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsThis client wants to call me names? I've got a couple for him! EMMA COCKER My condescending female boss has thrown me a big money client I will earn her respect, maybe get out of debt The commission would be huge on a mansion like this But Tanner Hamilton is the biggest snob... -
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Cocky Senator’s Daughter: Hannah by Faleena Hopkins
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 21 ratingsHANNAH COCKER Every man I've dated in this city has either bored me or hurt me. When Sofia Sol, my crazy cousin, offers a ride on the back of her Harley with no destination in mind besides out-of-Atlanta, what do you think my answer is? I'll give you one guess. TOBIAS KYRKOS Life doesn't ever hand you what you want. You have to take it... -
Trust the Push by Kaylee Ryan
Rated: 4.53 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsI'm making strides in the world of dirt late model racing. With back-to-back championships under my belt, I'm determined to win a third and be the youngest driver in history to do so. I'm going to make it happen. My career is my focus. That is until the ultimate distraction in the form of a redheaded bombshell drops into my life... -
Rowe by Jessica Gadziala
Rated: 4.52 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsShe was just going to stay away from him.That was the only way to deal with the outcomeof a particularly devastating conversation with the guyshe’d been crushing on for years.She’d been doing okay, even.Well, not okay. But coping.But when a bad situation hit the club, and a cousincalled in a favor, Billie found herself face-to-face withsomeone she thought she never wanted to see again... -
Give Me Forever by Heidi McLaughlin
Rated: 4.52 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsFrom the New York Times bestselling author of Forever My Girl: The Motion Picture, Heidi McLaughlin delivers an emotional second chance romance about life, love, and what it means to truly be happy!Elle James has it all: a loving fiancé in Ben, a promising career as a music manager, and a supportive family. She couldn’t be happier with her life... -
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Writing the Rules by Mariah Dietz
Rated: 4.39 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsPoppy Anderson was nailing her sophomore year at Brighton University. She liked her classes, had the greatest best friend, and was finally ready to start dating again. Or she was … until her ex, Mike, transferred to Brighton and started exchanging long stares and inside jokes that Poppy thought he’d forgotten.Paxton Lawson was long ago labeled ‘The Golden Boy...Categorized as:
new adult sports friends to lovers contemporary college siblings-bff football length-long -
Always Yours by Kennedy Fox
Rated: 4.41 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsRehearsals, leotards, and textbooks—that was my life. Dancing is all I’ve ever known, but when Liam’s problems turn everything upside down, I’m thrust into a world I know nothing about. Secrets and betrayal changed the man I’ve fallen for and he isn’t who I thought he was. Regardless, Liam is all I’ve ever wanted and though I’m struggling with my emotions, deep down I’d do anything for him... -
Saint by Nicole James
Rated: 4.47 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsShe’s a favor, a debt I owe—that’s all.Kami—I’m no longer the little girl he once knew, one who believed in fairy tales.And he’s no longer the white knight I believed him to be.How can he be when he shows up on a black Harley wearing leather and biker boots?I didn’t want this, but the decision is out of my control.Now I’m his.I have to remember this is only temporary...Categorized as:
friends to lovers slow burn new adult contemporary bad boys bikers length-short audiobook -
Play to Win by Ja'Nese Dixon
Rated: 4.47 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsKamal’s an ex-football player. Jayda’s a single mother uninterested in another relationship until she sees Kamal with her daughter.Every rejection will only make his victory sweeter. He plans to lick, taste, and devour her like the delicacy she is until the world, her ex, and Jayda recognizes his name tatted on every inch of her curvy body... -
Defining the Rules by Mariah Dietz
It started with friendship. The best stories always do. Our story sounds unlikely. Bizarre. A fable. Like wine and cheese and my favorite pair of jeans, Things got better over time— Too good, it seemed. Arlo Kostas was the starting running back for Brighton University. His quick smile and sharp wit Was enough to disarm even the biggest cynic...Categorized as:
new adult sports friends to lovers college contemporary open-door length-long audiobook -
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Taking the Leap by Kelsie Rae
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsA girl who’s competing in a man’s sport. And a guy who can’t wait to help her shine.My world fell apart when my dad was diagnosed with dementia.Now, I need money and a way to provide stability for my father.When an opportunity falls into my lap that can provide both, I grab hold of it with all my strength.I just need to...focus... -
Bliss by Kaylee Ryan
Cooper Reese Latham was about to make the biggest mistake of her life. At eight-years-old, we vowed to be best friends for the rest of our lives, thinking nothing could ever change that. We were both wrong— we made mistakes, and grew apart. Until I realized living without her wasn’t an option.I was almost too late... but I wouldn’t stand by and watch her walk down the aisle to another man...Categorized as:
sports new adult friends to lovers sweet heroine contemporary sweet-hero football length-short -
Lights Out Lucy: Roller Derby 101 by Elicia Hyder
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsI love Lucy! "OMG! I love Lucy!! Seriously loved this book. Laughs, romance, and some serious a$$ kicking as Lucy tries out for the roller derby. Lights Out Lucy deserves much more than 5 stars! Excellent read from start to finish." --Amazon Reviewer A fresh, fun, feel-good book...Categorized as:
sports new adult friends to lovers contemporary humor tycoon length-medium audiobook -
Hot Boy Summer: A Charity Anthology by Kat Savage, J.R. Rogue
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsToes in the sand. Umbrella cocktails. Shirtless hot boys. One fleeting summer. Will your heart survive? It’s about to heat up in here…Hot Boy Summer: A Charity Anthology is a collection of brand new stories from 31 amazingly talented authors. Each brings to the table their own unique take on the connections we form when we live wildly under the guise of momentary fervor...Categorized as:
new adult friends to lovers sports contemporary anthologies christian age difference length-epic -
Van by Kat Mizera
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsTemptation could destroy everything he’d spent his career building…Professional hockey player Jean-Michel Vander is living the dream…. And the Las Vegas strip is a long way from the small town in Quebec where he grew up. He works hard but he plays harder, especially in the off-season. The sexy redhead he spots doing a striptease in a Paris nightclub is all kinds of fun...Categorized as:
sports friends to lovers new adult friends-benefits contemporary hockey length-medium -
Foul Play by Kat Mizera
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThe Phantoms are back with a vengeance… and the City of Angels will never be the same. When the world's top supermodel’s friend zones you, what's a determined hockey player supposed to do? Change her mind. But it’ll take more than a trick play to convince her. Cheyenne is more than a stunning beauty; she's a part of my life, my bed, and now my heart...
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